A MYSTERIOUS white powder found outside a government building in Nuneaton sparked an anthrax alert at the heart of the town centre....

A MYSTERIOUS white powder found outside a government building in Nuneaton sparked an anthrax alert at the heart of the town centre.

The Benefits Agency, in Mill House, Mill Walk, was evacuated and sealed off at 11.20am yesterday as police and firefighters investigated.

Staff carrying out a health and safety check at the building kicked over a margarine tub out-side the staff entrance and became anxious after the lid came off and spread the white substance across the pavement and door to the offices.

Because of the heightened security following the anthrax attacks in America, particularly around government buildings, the emergency services were called immediately.

It is believed that before the tub was discovered, a number of staff on the ground floor had been sent home suffering with vomiting and complaining of a strange smell.

Firefighters entered the building and told the 150-strong workforce to evacuate using a fire escape furthest away from the incident.

They cordoned off the bridge

next to the buildings in Mill Walk, the pathway from inside Riversley Park, and the entrance to Mill Street opposite the library.

Sub-officer Andy Lym, who led the team of firefighters from Nuneaton, Bedworth and Atherstone, said: ?The substance was like crystals, sort of like salt, and was in a very localised area of about a foot or so.

?Two firefighters from Bedworth put on breathing apparatus and swept up the powder, then double bagged it before putting it in a sealed container.? Police were then called to remove the substance.

A police spokesman said today: ?A risk assessment was carried out and we determined there was no credible threat. The sub-stance is not going to be analysed because we are satisfied it is innocuous.?

Alec Hart, operational director for the Coventry and Warwickshire Benefits Agency, said: ?Our staff were allowed back into the

building about an hour later.

?We re-opened to the public at 2pm. I was very pleased with staff, it was a sensible evacuation.

?It?s easy to say it was something done in jest but you can?t be complacent about this sort of thing, which was why we called the emergency services. If they have decided it doesn?t need analysing, then we?re in their hands.?